1881 $10 (1881 Gold Eagle) NGC MS61. This mint state gold eagle shimmers with bright mint luster. The coin has surface abrasion marks and scrapes, which keep it from a higher mint state grade. The strike is full on both sides with every detail clear and easy to observe. The coin shows Liberty facing to the left, wearing a coronet inscribed with the word LIBERTY instead of a cap as on the previous design. Her hair is tied with beads and two long curls fall down, one on the back of her neck and the other below her ear.

For the reverse, Christian Gobrecht, the coin’s designer, used a heraldic eagle facing left. The new reverse shows the corrected heraldry, arrows in the left claw and olive branch in the right. The previous design had them mixed up causing confusing war-like symbolism. Gobrecht also removed the stars and clouds above the eagle and added the denomination TEN D. below. The Type 2 eagle was created when the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to a banner above the eagle in 1866.